"It was pretty crazy" - Zach Neto opens up about his first reaction upon becoming Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani's teammate in Angels

When Zach Neto debuted for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, he got two global stars in Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout as his teammates. For Neto, the experience was intimidating and inspiring.

The 13th pick in the 2022 MLB draft debuted on April 15, 2023, becoming the first from his draft class to play in the big leagues.

Speaking with MLB insider Chris Rose on "Dugout Discussions" on Monday, Neto recalled walking into spring training and realizing the magnitude of the moment.

"It was pretty crazy," Zach Neto said (Timestamp 3:46). "My first spring training, I was able to see both of them, you know. Trout's locker was like right in front of mine, and then Shohei was right at the end of the locker room. And it's just, seeing those guys walk into the locker room, it's like, okay, is this actually real?"

Neto knew they were his teammates like any other, but admitted that the feeling of rubbing shoulders with Ohtani and Trout elated him. He then explained how he broke the ice with the two superstars.

"You know, you don't want to be rude and, and, you know, disrupt their time or whatever. And it's just being able to kind of break that ice and just get cool with them and, you know, just build the relationship, I think, is what is the most important part."

Zach Neto only played one season together with Ohtani, who joined the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency. The Japanese star won his second American League MVP award in the season, a feat he replicated with the Dodgers in the National League on his debut season with the team in 2024.

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Zach Neto opens up on being embraced by the superstars

The LA Angels' 2023 season ended without a playoff berth, with Mike Trout and Zach Neto each playing 82 games. Neto, a shortstop, posted a 1.6 WAR with nine home runs, eight stolen bases, and a .225 average.

His debut season provided valuable experience, particularly with Trout and Ohtani offering support that helped him adjust.

"You know, both of them have been pretty cool with me," Zach Neto said on "Dugout Discussions" (Timestamp 4:23). "I've just been doing a great job of kind of, like, you know, respecting their time just like they do with mine, and just being able to be a good teammate and friend."

Zach Neto is now one of the most promising shortstops in the MLB. The 24-year-old, after his dinger against the Athletics on Friday, joined Ohtani and Trout as the only players with multiple 20-homer 20-steal seasons in franchise history.